OXFORD – “I just thought it would be nice to help others,” said Norwich Middle school student Alyssa Huzinec.

The eighth grader and 20 of her fellow students visited the New York State Veteran’s Home in Oxford last Wednesday. The participants are all members of the Kids Care Club, a new student organization focused on giving back to the community.

The club, which officially organized in mid-January, already has more than 30 members. According to the group’s facilitator, teacher Mary Carol Edwards, that number will soon top 45.

The Vets Home visit is one of the Kids Care Club’s first activities. The middle school students joined the facility’s residents during their weekly Afternoon tea. They spent roughly an hour socializing, handing out valentines and distributing cookies.

There was even an impromptu musical performance by three of the students. Residents and students alike listened in rapt attention while Michelle Heeman and Andrea Robles performed a flute and clarinet duet, and Sixta Robles played a solo on violin.

Huzinec was one of the students circulating around the room, talking to residents. “I know they get lonely sometimes and like to interact,” she explained.

Michael Ruland, a sixth grader at Norwich Middle School, is proud to say he was one of the first students to sign up for both the club and the Vets Home trip. His favorite part of the visit, he said, was being able to talk to the veterans.